We have a busy October Half Term planned this year and I wanted to share our plans. I know as we share our days out I will be asked for the details so I am hoping that having it here all in one place will be easy for me to direct people to when they want to find out more. I won't be online much during the week itself.
If you are looking for more ideas for things to do over October Half Term, check out these posts:
- 20+ Halloween Events in North East England
- What's On for Kids | October Half Term (non-Halloween events)
October Half Term | Our Plans
Pumpkin Picking at Spilman's Farm
This technically isn't in October Half Term (we have booked at the beginning of October) but it is something you can do during that week so I wanted to share.
We absolutely loved our visit last year (which you can read about here) and I think it's a bit of a new tradition for us now. This year, it costs £5 per person to book and on arrival you are given a £5 (pp) voucher which you can redeem against pumpkins, some attractions and some food.
Find out more and book here. (I sometimes work with Spilmans but have booked and paid for this event myself).
Hallowtween at York Maze
So many people have recommend this event to me and as we are spending Halloween at home this year, I decided to just go for it. Hallowteen is aimed at families with kids aged 10-15 so scarier than some of the attractions for younger kids but not as extreme as a full horror maze. My kids are aged 10,12 and 15 so it seems perfect.
I'm not going to lie, it is pricey (it was around £75 for the 5 of us) but I know the kids are going to love it.
There are four 'scare houses' to walk through including one which is 3D. U16s need to be accompanied at all times so yes, parents need to experience the horror too! During this event, there are no actual people in the houses but there are plenty of 'walkabout' characters outside which are said to be excellent.
There are also live stage acts, creepy creatures, side shows and food stalls. I will write a full review of this one and let you know what it's like if you are thinking of booking next year.
Find out more and book here.
I'm not going to lie, it is pricey (it was around £75 for the 5 of us) but I know the kids are going to love it.
There are four 'scare houses' to walk through including one which is 3D. U16s need to be accompanied at all times so yes, parents need to experience the horror too! During this event, there are no actual people in the houses but there are plenty of 'walkabout' characters outside which are said to be excellent.
There are also live stage acts, creepy creatures, side shows and food stalls. I will write a full review of this one and let you know what it's like if you are thinking of booking next year.
Find out more and book here.
Ford & Etal Scarecrow Trail
We love Ford & Etal and have wanted to try their Scarecrow Trail for a while. Last year it didn't seem appropriate and the few years before we were always on holiday somewhere so finally, this is our year.
The event is free with no booking required but donations are asked for when you collect a trail map (donations will go to a local charity).
Whitby Abbey (ad)
After a failed attempt at visiting Whitby over the summer (we were not prepared for how busy it would be!), I am delighted to be working with English Heritage this half term and showcasing their Half Term events.
Lots of you recommended the park & ride so we are going to try that. Whitby Abbey will be illuminated in the evenings and during the day they are running a 'Wizards of Once Halloween' quest which you can just drop into / is included with usual admission or membership.
Find out more here.
London Trip
We're going to London for three days! I am so excited about this. It has worked out to be a fairly expensive trip when you put everything together but I have booked everything gradually and spread the cost over 6 months (or longer) so it hasn't felt as if I have spent a lot (when I blatantly have!).
- Doctor Who Time Fracture - this is the main reason for our trip and tickets were part of Harry's birthday present. Harry and Steve are huge Doctor Who fans and have been dying to try this. Time Fracture is an immersive Doctor Who event taking place in London until April 2022.
I bought the tickets ages ago but unfortunately, they have now suspended sales until November due to problems with flooding. They do hope to re-open at the beginning of October so I have my fingers and toes crossed! Tickets were £50 each. You can find out more here.
UPDATE - sadly, this has been cancelled due to ongoing flooding issues. Sad times! - London Ghost Bus Tour - I was torn between this and the Horrible Histories Boat Tour but decided the ghost tour was probably more suited to older kids and something to fill an evening. It was £79 for the 5 of us which I don't think is too bad when you compare with a trip to the theatre. Find out more here.
- Sherlock Holmes Pub - this pub is actually across the road from the London Ghost Bus Tour pick up so I have booked here for tea. Prices seem reasonable for London, there is something for all of the family on the menu and the pub is kind of half a shrine to Sherlock Holmes. Steve, myself and Harry love a bit of Sherlock so I am hoping we will enjoy. Find out more here.
- Odeon Leicester Square - we are big movie fans so are going to book tickets to this flagship cinema. Not sure what we will see yet but we will be popping into the M&M store, LEGO store (we have already visited both and love) plus the Forbidden Planet Megastore.
- Inamo Covent Garden - we usually try and visit a Michelin star restaurant or do some kind of unique dining experience during our trip to London but I struggled to find somewhere this time. Previously we have enjoyed a couple of Gordon Ramsay restaurants with the kids (some of them are actually brill for kids) but now, they don't seem to offer veggie options for kids as standard which I am surprised at.
During our last visit we dined at The Shrimp Bucket which was great. I think the kids are too old for Rainforest Cafe or similar now and we have the added issue of Dee not being a big eater and being veggie. I begrudge paying loads for them when I know they have very plain tastes.
Anyway, a few people recommended Inamo in Covent Garden and it looks perfect. The unique element is that your tables are interactive and you order via a menu on your table and can play games on your table as you wait for your food.
The cuisine is Asian with small plates, sharing dishes and lots of veggie options. All food we all really enjoy. Depending on what you order and if you don't go OTT, the prices aren't too bad considering you are in central Covent Garden. There is supposed to be a Pumpkin Festival in Covent Garden over Half Term too so we will check that out at the same time. Find out more about Inamo here. - After the Doctor Who Experience was cancelled, we booked The London Dungeons and Shrek Adventure (we bought a combo ticket). Annoyingly, I had wanted to visit these when we had our Merlin Annual Passes but then COVID hit so we had to scap those plans (and I cancelled our pass).
There are various 2for1 deals around but as we are visiting the Dungeons over Halloween, they seem to be excluded from most deals so it is expensive. We have visited York and Blackpool Dungeons before and really enjoyed them so I am hoping we'll enjoy. Find out more here. - We are staying at The Mitre Pub in Greenwich. I have always wanted to stay in Greenwich so looking forward to it. The pub has good reviews and is very central. I can't wait to visit Greenwich Park and the markets. We have booked two rooms and rooms are available from £55 per night which is a bargain. We paid £75 per room, per night which for October Half Term, I think is brilliant value. Find out more here.
- In Greenwich we have booked Buffalo Greenwich one night which is an American Tex-Mex restaurant with good reviews and the prices aren't extortionate. The menu looks like it has something for everyone including a few veggie options. Find out more here.
- I booked our train tickets via the LNER website. We managed to find a bargain - £44.50 per adult return and £12.90 per child return with (ad - affiliate) a friends and family railcard (Newcastle-Kings Cross). The key for finding cheap tickets is to book in advance and be as flexible as you can with travel times.
- I have kept plenty of free time in London too - I didn't want to book too much in.
So that's our October Half Term plan. We're going to be busy but I can't wait - lots of Halloween fun which I am looking forward to.
If you are looking for more ideas for things to do over October Half Term, check out these posts:
- 20+ Halloween Events in North East England
- What's On for Kids | October Half Term (non-Halloween events)
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